1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic disk device having a disk and a head enclosed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic disk device has magnetic disks and magnetic heads enclosed therein for reading data stored in the magnetic disks and for writing data in the magnetic disks. The magnetic disk device includes a base in which magnetic disks and magnetic heads are arranged and a cover attached to the base to enclose the magnetic disks and the magnetic heads in the base and the cover. Such a magnetic disk device is usually referred to as a disk enclosure.
A bar code label is attached to the magnetic disk device to indicate the production number and the job number of the magnetic disk device, to manage the magnetic disk device during the assembling process and the shipping test process. The bar code label has a bar code printed thereon, which can be read by a bar code reader. In the shipping test process, for example, a test apparatus having testing slots is used so that the magnetic disk devices are inserted in the testing slots. The magnetic disk device has a connector on one end thereof which is first inserted in the testing slot to engage with a corresponding connector in the testing slot. The opposite end of the magnetic disk device can be seen from outside the test apparatus. The bar code label is attached to the outside end surface of the magnetic disk device so that the bar code can be easily and efficiently read by the bar code reader, with the magnetic disk device in the testing slot of the test apparatus.
The cover has a top cover portion and a flange portion depending from the top cover portion, the flange portion being fitted on the upper portion of the base. The remaining lower portion of the base is exposed. Therefore, the end surface of the magnetic disk device, to which the bar code label is attached, is formed by the end flange portion of the cover and the exposed lower portion of the base. The bar code label must be attached to either the end flange portion of the cover or the exposed lower portion of the base.
The bar code must have a certain height (or a vertical length) so that the bar code can be reliably read, since the bar code cannot be exactly read if the height of the bar code is too small. Accordingly, the bar code label must have a certain height (or a vertical length), which is typically 5 to 6 millimeters. In conventional 2.5 inch magnetic disk devices, the height of the entire device is greater than 12.5 millimeters, and the height of the end surface of the exposed lower portion of the base is greater than 7 millimeters, but the height of the end flange portion of the cover is 2 to 3 millimeters. Therefore, it is possible to attach the bar code label to the end surface of the exposed lower portion of the base.
Recently, the sizes of 2.5 inch magnetic disk devices has been reduced, and magnetic disk devices having the height of 9.5 millimeters are beginning to appear in the market. In this case, the height of the end surface of the exposed lower portion of the base is only 4 millimeters, and it is difficult to attach the bar code label to the end surface of the exposed lower portion of the base.